


The Life of the Youngest Yeager

by Zombie2315



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Jean needs a hug, Protective Eren, Protective Mikasa, Reader Needs a Hug, Romance, protective Armin, rated for language, reader is a year younger than eren, reader is eren's sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 07:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13313313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zombie2315/pseuds/Zombie2315
Summary: Up until the fall of Wall Maria, (Y/N)'s life was comfortable and loving. She lived with her parents, older brother and adopted sister, all who she loved more than life itself. And, as pretty as that picture was, it couldn't last forever. As her brother, Eren refused to accept that she would follow him into the Scouts, even Mikasa and Armin didn't want her to join them. But she was done with losing people, she wanted to try. She wanted to keep the people she loved safe for as long as possible. Even if that list gets longer after meeting a tall and stubborn cadet who's set on joining the MPs.(Attack on Titan belongs to Hajime Isayama. I only own this fanfiction.) Requested by animeangel, I hope I did your request justice <3





	The Life of the Youngest Yeager

**844**

 

She held the off-white dinner plate in her small hands, fearing that she might drop it and cause her mother distress. But on the contrary, the older woman wasn’t worried at all, for she knew her daughter had a much more delicate touch than her brother.

 

“You’re doing fine, (Y/N). Thank you for helping me clean up.”

 

Her tiny shoulder seemed to relax at the praise. She finished drying the plate quickly and took a few steps to the left, opening the cupboard and stacking it with the rest. Her father and brother left a few hours ago and she was cherishing the peaceful time alone with her mother. Carla Yeager was a kind spirit that loved her family more than anything in the world, her light brown eyes always looking brighter in the presence of those she cared about, but she didn’t hesitate to reprimand her son and eldest child when he got himself into trouble.

 

It wasn’t long after everything was cleaned and put away that the other residents of the home returned, a young girl (Y/N) had never seen before but was undoubtedly a bit older – maybe around Eren’s age.

 

“Grisha, who’s this?” Carla questioned, concern lacing her voice after taking in the nervous appearance of the newcomer.

 

“This is Mikasa Ackerman, she’ll be staying with us from now on. Eren, why don’t you introduce Mikasa and your sister while I talk to your mother?”

 

With the parents out of the room, Eren casually makes his way towards his younger-by-one-year sister and ruffles her hair, “Mikasa, this is my little sister, (Y/N). (Y/N), this is Mikasa. She’s gonna be living with us now.” (Y/N) was never as brave as Eren, always quiet and reserved, and that’s why all she could offer their new housemate was a shy smile and wave.

 

Mikasa didn’t seem to take it as a negative reaction, however, hands clutching at the red scarf around her neck and pulling it down just enough for the younger girl to see her own smile.

 

 

**845**

 

“Only a matter of time…” Armin’s speech about the Titans and the walls trailed off and for once, no one dared to speak. They were sat out by the river after rescuing the poor blonde from a group of bullies who were picking on his because he’d been talking about the same topic he was currently on. Only echoes of regular town life could be heard from where the four sat.

 

Until a large bang reverberated through the ground and sent them all a good three feet into the air.

 

“What was that?” Eren groaned, finding his footing before reaching for his sister to make sure she was okay.

 

“I don’t know,” Armin responded.

 

They followed the racing townsfolk towards the open area often used as a sort of roundabout for carriages, eyes glued to the rising plume of steam that rose from outside the wall. (Y/N) had become somewhat less nervous over the past year while befriending Mikasa, the older girl having some sort of effect on her, but in this moment, she was terrified. The large red hand gripping the top of the fifty-metre-high wall sending her into a shock that seemed to prevent her from moving or hearing any of the sounds around her – not even her brother as he declared that their mother was home alone and possibly in grave danger.

 

It wasn’t until Hannes stumbled across her and Armin that she finally blinked, “Kids! Get outta here, now!”

 

“Hannes, wait! Eren and Mikasa, they ran towards their house, they’re in danger!” Armin sputtered, tears collecting in his eyes as Hannes’ widened. He was running after the two missing children in seconds.

 

 

(Y/N) sat beside her closest friend and his grandfather as people were loaded onto the boat. She shivered in fear at the thought of her family being dead; her father had gone out that morning, her mother was at home alone and her brother and adopted sister hadn’t been seen for who-know-how-long. The only comfort she had was that Armin was still with her.

 

“There they are!” The blonde’s word caught her attention and she turned around to see where he was looking. “Eren?” Said boy looked traumatized and it caused (Y/N)’s stomach to feel like a ton of bricks, and while Mr. Arlert told Armin not to bother the two, she could tell from their faces that everything she feared had come true. The chances of her mother being alive were beyond slim, and if she were fine, then what could be so horrifying to make the fearful Mikasa Ackerman look like a scared child? _She hasn’t looked like that since_ …

 

The girl choked on a sob, holding it back along with her waterfall of tears. She didn’t want to cry now, not with all these people around.

 

 

Nightfall was quickly approaching and Armin and (Y/N) were finally seated beside Eren and Mikasa, though not a single word had been shared between them. The black-haired girl’s softer side emerged at the sight of (Y/N)’s red eyes and didn’t hesitate to wrap her in a hug. The three oldest of the group were very protective of (Y/N), all seeing her as their own little sister, even Armin, and they wanted to protect her from everything. Now, Mikasa felt that it was her duty to shield her from the outside world, even if just for a little while. Had Eren not been seething in rage, he might feel the need to comfort his sister.

 

“I’m gonna put a stop to this! I’ll kill them all… Every last one…”

 

 

**847**

 

“Straighten those spines pissheads! The 104th cadet boot camp starts now! Allow me to introduce myself: I'm commandant Keith Shadis and you will grow to hate me! Training is gonna be a white-knuckle ride through hell! If I've done my job, you'll be waking up in a cold sweat from memories of this place every night for the rest of your miserable lives! Right now you’re nothing -livestock- but over the next three soul-crushing years, you'll learn to take down your own Goliath! Remember this moment when you come face to face with him, ‘cause here's where you ask yourself: am I a fighter? Or am I feed? Am I gonna be ground to pulpy human grist between Boulder size incisors? Or am I gonna be the one to bite!”

 

She stood among the organised crowd with a blank face. (Y/N) listened to the angry sounding commander with a precise ear, but all her mind could picture was the angry look she knew Eren was wearing right at that moment. Armin was doing his best to look brave but ultimately failing, his nerves getting the better of him and showing in his eyes. Meanwhile, Mikasa was as hard to read as ever.

 

With few options left, the four joined the 104th Cadet Corps with the hopes of making a change, but mostly to make sure that Eren didn’t get himself killed on his mission for revenge. (Y/N) loved her brother dearly, but even she could admit when he was fighting a losing battle, and with how hot-headed he could be, she was scared for him. It took a lot of verbal sparring just for her to get where she was now; Eren, Mikasa and Armin were completely against the idea of her placing herself in danger’s path, but she wouldn’t have it. She was joining whether they liked it or not and they couldn’t stop her.

 

 

Eren was hunched over his dish, bread in hand as he spoke about the fall of Wall Maria, voice confident and angry, as usual. (Y/N) sat at a different table in the cadets dining hall with Mikasa close at her side and Armin just opposite her. She knew her brother was brave, but she hated it when he felt the need to be so aloof, to act like he was fearless and that what happened at home affected him in no way at all. Even Mikasa was no fan of his ‘gloating’. She had to protect what family she had left and Eren just had to make that difficult.

 

“Hey, are you crazy or somethin’?”

 

Broken out of his story-telling trance, Eren peers off to his right to spot the boy that interrupted him. He didn’t see anything special about the new voice, from his light-brown hair to his simple-looking clothes, Eren concluded that he was just a horse-faced nuisance.

 

“Not that it’s any of my business, but signing up for reconnaissance is like a death sentence.”

 

The shorter of the two was having none of it, soon standing from his seat and ready to fight the stranger if he insulted him again. They stood adjacent from each other, the boy with the buzzcut sounding just as uncaring about the situation as Eren did before, until Armin sought to put a stop to it. After a half-assed apology, the end-of-dinner bell could be heard from outside. Eren swatted away the other boy’s hand in favour of walking away. And of course, where ever Eren goes, Mikasa and (Y/N) are bound to follow.

 

On her way past, (Y/N) decided to address the much taller male, “I’m sorry about him. My brother can be… Well, he finds trouble easily.”

 

She didn’t linger, running after her family and missing the awestruck look on the sandy-haired male’s face. _How can a girl like that be related to an idiot like him?_ The boy thought as he watched her leave.

 

 

Her brother sat sulking in his seat the next evening. He was the only one that couldn’t get a grip on the ODM gear and it had sent him into a near-endless depression for the rest of the day. Seeing Mikasa and his younger sister manage without fail was a huge blow to his ego and everyone could see it. He was so desperate that he later began circling the boys’ dorm, asking people for help because he’d be damned if they sent him back to the fields.

 

(Y/N) was in agreement with Mikasa, which only upset the brunette more. They’d all follow Eren to the ends of the Earth, all to protect him, but he didn’t want to believe that two girls and Armin needed to protect him in the slightest. He even still refused to accept that his kid sister was willing to become a soldier for him, because despite his eagerness for everyone to fight, he didn’t want her to die like their mother. “I don’t want the people I love to die without me knowing again. It was hours before I knew about my mom, I never even got to say goodbye” she’d told Armin. He would be the most understanding out of them all; he thought rationally and regarded emotions better than Eren and Mikasa. He wouldn’t fault her for her feelings.

 

 

**850**

 

It’d been around two years since the 104th Cadet Corps came together and everyone had improved substantially. At the current moment, Eren was getting pinned to the ground by Annie Leonhart, but his sister was twenty feet away and having a considerably better time with her training.

 

“Jean, you’ve got to attack like you mean it! Don’t hold back just because I’m a girl,” she teased.

 

Said boy blushed in response, “Maybe I didn’t wanna accidentally hurt that pretty face of yours! You’ll surely scare any attackers with your cuteness.” Over the past two years the two had grown closer, much to Eren’s displeasure. All they did was argue and bicker, but (Y/N) always managed to coax a gentler side out of Jean that he, admittedly, didn’t show to many people. It made the girl feel more attached than she should. _Don’t get attached. He’s going to the MPs and you’re going to the Scouts. You’ll only feel like shit if you let yourself get attached_ – she repeated this almost every day when she remembered how much she cared about him.

 

“Oh? You think I’m cute now?”

 

“Like a puppy.”

 

Catching the wooden knife in mid-air as he tossed it to her, she smirked, “Oh, I’ll show you cute.”

 

 

There was the kind and fun side of Jean, then there was this side. The one that sat with his comrades in the dining hall and bragged about how skilled you had to be to become an MP. He had no shame in declaring that it was for comfort and safety that he wanted to be inside the innermost wall, and (Y/N) could understand that – who wouldn’t want to be safe from imminent danger like the titans? But she felt bad for people like Marco who genuinely found the idea of working under the king a great honor. People like that were made fun of often because that mindset was just so rare nowadays.

 

“Shut up, Marco! We’re not children, you can drop the misty-eyed BS. Honor doesn’t have any damn part of it. You just want a nice cushy job in the interior, playing glorified century.”

 

(Y/N) rested her head against her hand as she watched all the commotion ensue: Eren once again judging those aiming for the MPs, Jean getting them both riled up and eventually grabbing onto the shorter boy’s shirt with a tight grip, both of them bickering like children. While Armin voiced his concern, Mikasa stood up, ready to diffuse the situation, but (Y/N) remained seated and watched with bored eyes. She was too tired to bother with them right now.

 

 

The next day, a portion of the cadets were stood atop Wall Rose. (Y/N) felt content as she and her brother cleaned one of the cannons, occasionally exchanging a joke or two, a rare laugh being shared with the people around them. Eren seemed surprised when people started stepping forward, claiming that they were joining the Scouts with him. Until now, he assumed everyone was a coward that didn’t deserve the luxury of the MPs, but now he can see that there are people he’d be happy to call his comrades. He smiled at his sister, a sight that made her heart swell since she hadn’t seen genuine happiness in him for so long.

 

It was a beautiful moment that she never wanted to forget, but maybe forgetting this day would benefit everyone. After all, who would want to remember the sight of the Colossal Titan, less than twenty feet from their place on the wall.

 

It was like bullet-time. People falling, getting injured, some even falling unconscious as the large gust of blistering steam shoved them from the fifty-metre-high landmark. She saved herself just in time, using her 3DMG to grapple onto the side of the wall before hitting the ground, eyes looking around until she spotted an unconscious Samuel dangling upside down. The only thing stopping him from hitting the ground was one of Sasha’s lines, the hook currently imbedded in his ankle.

 

Words blurred together in her ears, but she thought she heard Connie screaming “Not again” and maybe Eren shouting “Do or die”. It was hard to tell, but as soon as she pulled herself together, everything went silent.

 

By the time she reached the top of the wall, a Garrison commander had arrived, “Look alive! Operation Colossal Titan Response is in effect, I expect you to take part! Report to HQ, if you got close to the damn thing, we need details!”

 

 

Her limbs were frozen in place just like they were the first time one of the walls fell, but this time it wasn’t because of a wall. It was because she didn’t understand what she was seeing. Eren was near the ground, his body appearing tiny as it emerged from a fifteen-metre type. _He… He was_ inside _the titan… but nowhere near the stomach…_

 

Mikasa didn’t hesitate to go straight for him, ODM gear slowing her decent as she jumped from the building.

 

“Armin… I thought you said he…”

 

“He-he was…” _He was swallowed almost whole_.

 

So, how was he here now?

 

 

Her tears were interrupted just as they began to fall by the group of Garrison soldiers that ordered the four to follow them to a quiet location. With Eren still unconscious, he, Mikasa, Armin and (Y/N) were told to stay put in the corner of the open space likely used for communal gatherings. The army of Garrison soldiers surrounding them had (Y/N) and Armin on edge for sure. _Please, Eren, wake up_ , the younger cadet prayed.

 

Another uncomfortable ten minutes ticked by before he finally did, his sister’s eyes leaking the tears she forgot were there. Mikasa didn’t shift her feet from their defensive position, only turning her torso around to asking if Eren was alright before returning her glare to those keeping them prisoner. Confusion filled Eren to the brim; what was going on? Why were the Garrison all staring at him like he just committed the worst crime imaginable?

 

Elsewhere, Jean was stewing in dread. _Is she like that too? Are they here to kill us all?_ It was driving him mad with curiosity and maybe even anger. _There’s no way she is… She’s nothing like that idiot, she cares about people too much to hurt them…_

 

“Cadet Eren Yeager, (Y/N) Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert! The four of you have jointly committed an act of high-treason! Whether or not a swift execution is a result depends on you!” Eren breathed a confused “What” between the captain’s speech, “Any attempt to move from where you stand now, anything I deem the least bit suspicious will be met with cannon fire! Do not test me! Answer carefully! Eren Yeager, what exactly are you: human or titan!?”

 

_What is that supposed to mean? Why are they all glaring at me like that? It’s like-like they’re looking at a monster…_

 

“You emerged from the carcass of a fallen titan in full view of your comrades!” Between Eren’s confused reply and the captain’s impatience, he decided to turn his questions towards the other present Yeager, “Cadet (Y/N) Yeager! Are you a titan too!?” Her reply only increased the weight on her brother’s shoulders.

 

“I don’t think so, sir!”

 

“A creature of unknown origin, ability or elegance has slipped through and infiltrated Wall Rose and that creature is you!”

 

He continued to ramble on and on, fully prepared to kill the four that were just as confused as their superiors. Tension was building itself higher and higher until Eren had no choice, his instinct leading him as he pulled his loved ones close and sunk his teeth into his hand. The tell-tale blast of steam erupted around them and signalled to those in the vicinity that a titan was in their midst, Jean only hesitating for a second when his teammates ran towards the commotion.

 

Reiner, Bertolt, Jean and Annie stood in shock at the billowing smoke before them. If there was no attack, then what was the cannon-fire from before all about? Why were Garrison soldiers just circling around it?

 

No one could see a thing, the only ones with a close-up view of the barely-formed titan being those that sat beneath it and, eventually, the person who climbed out of it. Armin rambled nervously, the comforting words of (Y/N) and Mikasa settling him down until Eren found them. The three weren’t quite sure as to what Eren was talking about, only hearing snippets that revealed he was talking about the old basement in Shiganshina, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. After refusing to abandon the boy, Armin decided to take a risk, his hands shaking as he took his first few steps out of the smoke.

 

With encouraging looks from his best friends, he spoke loud and clear for the armed men to hear, his trait as the voice of reason shining brighter than ever before. His words were so perfect that even (Y/N) felt resentment towards the ignorant captain, whose arm was raised and prepared to give the execution order once again.

 

“That’s enough. You should really do something about your nervous disposition, Captain Forman.”

 

“C-commander Pixis!”

 

 

Days later, sometime in the evening, (Y/N) sat alone outside, contemplating the other day’s events. All cadets and lower-ranking Garrison soldiers were placed on clean up duty, and while she threw herself into the work, wanting to get things back to the way they were before, she dwelled on the fact that her brother was locked away in a cell. It was also hard to know how many of her friends were really gone for good. She only really saw her fellow female cadets while retiring to the dorms, but who knows how many of her male friends might be dead.

 

A feeling of relief washed over her when she saw Jean approaching her, “Jean… Shit, I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.” His silence filled her with mixed feelings. Was he hiding his relief that she was okay? Or was he hiding his misery from the past few days?

 

“I found Marco…” _The second one. Definitely the second one_. He didn’t need to say any more for her to understand – Marco was dead, and Jean was the one to find his body.

 

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, holding back her own emotions and putting him first. Like her brother, Jean was a proud guy and wouldn’t accept comfort from just anyone. But with a gentle tone and outstretched arm, he welcomed her kindness and shuffled closer.

 

After about a minute of carefully rubbing his back, he surprised (Y/N) by suddenly latching onto her in a hug, “For the love of god, (Y/N)… Don’t leave me too…”

 

It broke her heart to hear him speak like that. “I won’t,” she mumbled, voice cracking as the tears slipped from her eyes, “I won’t leave you, Jean, as long as you don’t leave me…” She didn’t get to say goodbye to her mom, her dad and now Marco. She refused to lose Eren, Armin and Mikasa, they were her family. And now, she refused to lose Jean. He meant too much to her now.

 

He was joining the MPs, right? She can’t lose him if he’s safe inside the walls. It’ll all be alright.

 

 

The crowd seemed suffocating as they passed her by. She didn’t move from her position, knowing that this was the moment she’d been waiting for. With her hands behind her back and feet 30cm apart, (Y/N) started ahead with steely determination in her eyes. She knew Eren and Mikasa were doing the same, and that Armin was among the unmoving group with more nerves than herself, but she didn’t expect to see one person still there.

 

“You who stayed, you are now one of us. Allow me to welcome you to the Scout Regiment! This is a genuine salute, soldiers. Together, we give our hearts!” With practiced synchronization, muscle memory kicked in and the remaining cadets saluted with their right hand placed over their hearts.

 

“Sir!”

 

“Those of you standing here have worked through your fear. You have proven yourselves courageous. Each one of you has my respect.”

 

While most were internally panicking over their own lives, (Y/N) stared at Jean with a fearful look. _He was supposed to be joining the MPs! He scored high enough to do so, so why is he still here!? You promised, Jean… You promised that you wouldn’t let me lose you…_

 

 

“What happened to the Military Police!? You were supposed to go with them!”

 

“I thought you might be happy with this decision! You said you didn’t want me to leave, right? Well, I’m not leaving!”

 

She shook from head to toe, tears threatening to spill over and Jean was at a loss for words. Didn’t she want him to stay after all? “I don’t want to lose you…” Her words were strained, but he heard them.

 

He moved forward, cupping her cheeks in his hands, unafraid if anyone saw them. It’s not like anyone else would be up at this time of night, right? “We lost Marco because he was alone… I’m not gonna leave you alone to die too…” (Y/N) relaxed slightly, arms reaching up to grip onto his forearms to keep him in place. He knew she didn’t want him to move away, so instead, he moved closer – pressing a feather-light kiss to her forehead before quickly pulling her into his chest. He wasn’t entirely proud to look like a love-struck fool, but as long as she was the only one that saw it, he didn’t care.

 

After a long pause filled with silence, she found the words she wanted to say, “Okay… Okay. I don’t leave you. You don’t leave me.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope this turned out as good as I wanted it to. I don't really know how confident I am about it because it does feel somewhat rushed in my opinion. I wanted to cover a lot of the timeline to show the relationship between the main three and the reader before getting to Jean, but while trying to cover a lot of the plot I feel like some things weren't as good as they could have been.
> 
> Regardless, I hope anyone who reads this enjoys their experience <3


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